A child in Alameda County, California has tested positive for bird flu despite having no known contact with infected animals, state health officials reported Tuesday. The case is currently classified as "possible" pending confirmation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The child, who experienced mild respiratory symptoms, is recovering at home after receiving treatment. While there was no direct contact with infected animals, health officials are investigating potential exposure to wild birds in the area.
According to the California Department of Health, the positive test showed low virus levels, suggesting the child was likely not infectious to others. Follow-up testing four days later came back negative. The child also tested positive for other common respiratory viruses that could explain the symptoms.
No human-to-human transmission was detected, and all family members tested negative for the virus. Health officials have notified and offered preventive treatment to others who had contact with the child, including those at their daycare facility where the child attended with mild symptoms.
If confirmed by the CDC, this would mark the first H5 bird flu case in a child in the United States. So far in 2024, 53 people have contracted bird flu nationwide, with most cases linked to exposure to infected poultry or dairy cows.
California currently accounts for the highest number of human bird flu cases in the country with 27 confirmed infections, followed by Washington with 11 cases and Colorado with 10 cases.
The ongoing bird flu outbreak has affected millions of birds since 2022 and recently spread to dairy cows across 15 states. Despite these developments, health officials maintain that the public health risk remains low, noting that no human-to-human transmission has been documented in any country for over 15 years.
Common symptoms of bird flu include:
- Fever
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Runny nose
- Body aches
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Respiratory difficulties